多刺天门冬 duo ci tian men dong

Subshrubs dioecious. Roots ca. 3 mm thick, rather slender. Stems slightly diffuse or climbing, 1--2 m, densely striate-ridged; branches angled. Cladodes in fascicles of (3--)6--14, 0.6--2 cm × 0.5--1 mm, acutely 3-angled. Leaf spur spinescent; spine nearly straight, 4.5--8 mm on main stems, 2.5--5 mm on branches, woody, sharp. Inflorescences developing with cladodes. Male flowers: in clusters of 2--4; pedicel 1.5--2.5 mm, articulate above middle; perianth yellowish green, campanulate, 1.5--2.5 mm; filaments adnate to perianth segments for ca. 1/2 their length. Berry 5--6 mm in diam., 2- or 3-seeded. Fl. May, fr. Sep.

* Thickets, open slopes, sandy banks; 2100--3100 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.